How to get from Phuket to Koh Samui

Koh Samui lies in the Gulf of Thailand and Phuket in the Andaman Sea, so you cannot go straight across by sea: you either fly, or travel overland to Surat Thani and change to a ferry. Below are timetables and fares taken from AirAsia MOVE, the 12go aggregator, Lomprayah and Raja Ferry on 19 October 2026.

All options in one table

12go prices include the aggregator’s fee, and carriers’ own prices may differ. The Phuket Smart Bus does not go to the mainland: its timetable on the operator’s site lists only routes on the island.

By plane: 55 minutes

The direct flight is operated by Bangkok Airways. In AirAsia MOVE listings on 19 October 2026 there are departures on 23 October at 09:35, 11:00, 13:45, 16:00, 17:05 and 19:30, with a flight time of 55 minutes. The one-way fare is 2,888 baht on the 19:30 evening flight and 3,040-3,230 baht on the others, 3,675 baht on 27 October and 4,767 baht on January dates. On 12go flights from Phuket to Samui start from 3,265 baht. We did not check the Bangkok Airways fares for this route on the carrier’s site, which blocks automated access (checked on 19 October 2026).

This is the fastest option, and you can fly and check in on the same day. Baggage may not be included in the fare, so check at booking: the AirAsia MOVE listing does not show it.

Lomprayah bus and catamaran

Lomprayah sells a single ticket covering a bus or minivan from Phuket to the mainland and a high-speed catamaran to Samui. On the 2026 timetable, effective from 25 August 2026 (as stated in the carrier’s file):

• From Phuket. Departure at 09:30, arrival at Nathon Pier on Samui at 15:45, ticket 1,300 baht, or with a minivan to your hotel on Samui arrival at 16:45 and 1,450 baht
• From a Phuket hotel. Hotel pick-up in the Patong, Kata, Karon, Rawai and Nai Harn zone, departure at 07:30, arrival at 15:45, 1,500 baht, or with a minivan to your hotel on Samui 16:45 and 1,650 baht
• From Phuket Airport. Meeting point at gates 1-2 of the arrivals area, departure at 10:00, arrival at 15:45, 1,500 baht, or with a minivan to your hotel on Samui 16:45 and 1,650 baht

In the carrier’s table these trips are one line with one price, and the change between bus and catamaran is part of the ticket. The 09:30 trip takes 6 h 15 min and the 10:00 airport trip 5 h 45 min. Tickets are sold on Lomprayah’s site, by phone and on LINE, with contacts in the timetable.

Raja Ferry bus and ferry

On the Raja Ferry site for 22 and 26 October and 20 December 2026 the trip from Phuket Bus Terminal 2 leaves at 07:30 (check-in at counter 21 at the terminal), the ferry leaves Don Sak at 14:00 and you reach Lipa Noi Pier on Samui at 15:30. The bus and ferry ticket costs 660 baht. The journey takes 8 hours, which is 1 h 45 min longer than Lomprayah but half the price. From Lipa Noi Pier you need a car or minivan to your hotel.

Bus and ferry through the 12go aggregator

In the 12go listing for 22 October 2026:

• Bus and ferry, 820 baht. Phuket Bus Terminal 2 at 08:00, Nathon Pier on Samui at 15:30, 7 h 30 min. The same trip with a Seatran ferry costs 1,449 baht
• Minivan and ferry, 1,069-1,242 baht. Departure at 06:30 from Kata, to Nathon at 15:30 (9 hours) or to Chaweng and Bophut at 16:30 (10 hours)
• Lomprayah bus and catamaran, 1,371 baht. Trip at 09:30, arriving at 15:45, which is the same trip as in the carrier’s own timetable (1,300 baht), but dearer through the aggregator

The ferry runs from Don Sak Pier in Surat Thani province: Raja Ferry sails every hour from 05:00 to 19:00, taking about 1 h 30 min (the timetable on the carrier’s site is dated 11 October 2021 and was still the only one on 19 October 2026, there is no newer timetable on the site, and we did not check the official Facebook page, so check the times before you travel). Phuket Bus Terminal 2 is listed among Raja Ferry’s departure points.

Driving

From Phuket Bus Terminal 2 to Don Sak Pier it is 287.7 km by road and about 4 h 10 min without traffic, from Phuket Airport 266.5 km and about 3 h 55 min, and from Patong 294.8 km and about 4 h 20 min (OSRM). Add about 1 h 30 min for the ferry and the wait. Raja Ferry takes cars, and the carrier publishes fares by route on its fares page. For car hire terms and rules for foreigners, see the guide to car rental in Phuket.

How far: road distances

Calculated by the OSRM router on OpenStreetMap data, without traffic and without the ferry.

After you arrive

From the pier and the airport on Samui, people head to beaches such as Chaweng or Lipa Noi, the latter being nearer the Raja Ferry pier. For an overview of the island, see Koh Samui, and for the season and what to see, holidays in Koh Samui. If you are flying in from Bangkok, see how to get from Bangkok to Koh Samui. If you are also looking at the mainland, the route is described in Phuket to Krabi.

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